By mandating that specific diversion rates be met in subsequent years, it will also develop the market for economically viable and sustainable food packaging materials.

Plastic pollution poses a significant problem to wildlife and California’s more than $40 billion ocean economy. It’s estimated that over 400,000 jobs in the state are based on coastal tourism and recreation, with combined wages of nearly $10 billion. The Convention on Biological Diversity reports 663 species have been affected by plastic marine pollution through entanglement or ingestion.

The EPA recently estimated that local governments spend an average of $13 per resident per year to manage marine litter. For a state as large as California, that's a cost of more than $411 million. Up to 90% of marine debris is plastic.